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Carbon tax figures add to pressure to repeal

Heath Aston, Mark Kenny

"It's time for Labor to get out of the way and support the repeal of the carbon tax": Greg Hunt. Photo: Michel O'Sullivan

Australian companies paid $6.6 billion in the first full year of the carbon tax, with the seven biggest electricity producers each slugged more than $250 million.

The first annual tally of carbon tax liabilities, released on Friday by the Clean Energy Regulator, was largely as forecast.

But the Abbott government seized on the sheer scale of the figures to increase pressure on Labor to ''get out of the way'' of its election promise to abolish the tax. Opposition leader Bill Shorten has vowed to block the government's carbon repeal bills in the Senate.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt said the ''hit on the economy'' from the tax was worse than Labor had predicted when the Gillard government introduced it last year.

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He said the cost to the economy was $7.6 billion once reduced fuel tax credits and charges on the refrigeration and aviation industries were considered.

Of the 348 companies that paid the tax, NSW-based Macquarie Generation had the biggest bill at nearly $470 million. Great Energy Alliance, the company behind Victoria's Loy Yang power plant, paid $425 million.

Sixteen of the top 20 carbon tax contributors were power companies, with a combined bill of $4.1 billion, according to the six-monthly update by the Clean Energy Regulator.

Manufacturing companies paid a total $1.1 billion.

Mr Hunt used the numbers to renew the attack on Labor which has defended the tax.

''All Australians can blame Bill Shorten [for] helping to push up electricity bills and the overall cost of living,'' he said. ''It's time for Labor to get out of the way and support the repeal of the carbon tax.''

Mr Hunt said the $7.6 billion paid by companies had resulted in only a 0.1 per cent fall in emissions. Proof, he said, that ''it doesn't even work''.